Abstract: Techniques for finding sets of values that are relevant to attaining desired results, determining discrepancies between how different entities regard a set of values, and employing the discrepancies to determine how well individuals “fit” with other individuals or communities, how well communities fit with each other, how an entity's values compare with a desired set thereof, how an entity's values change over time, and what progress an entity is making towards acquiring value hierarchies that are useful in attaining the desired results. All of the techniques involve having entities assign values to hierarchies, with the value's position in the hierarchy being represented by a rating number upon which arithmetic operations may be performed. Discrepancies between value systems may be determined by comparing the rating numbers which the entities assign the values.

Abstract: A system that uses inferencing to deal with complex authentication problems such as those that occur when users authenticate themselves by means of tokens. A troubleshooter responds to a user's request for help by inputting an identification code for the user's token into the system. The system uses the identification code to obtain the current authentication state for the token from an authentication database and then inputs the authentication state to an inferencing system such as a knowledge base. The inferencing system uses the authentication state to make inferences concerning the problem. The inferencing process may involve obtaining further information from the troubleshooter an/or the authentication database and may also provide warnings of particular security problems to the troubleshooter. Eventually, the inferencing system reaches a solution, which may include advice that the troubleshooter is to give to the user.

Abstract: Techniques for transparently registering non-memory resources used by a program with a garbage collector so that the non-memory resources can be freed when the program is finished using them. The techniques automatically determine from the program that the execution will use a resource and then automatically modify the program's behavior so that the resource is registered. When the program is finished with the resource, it can be determined from the registry whether the resource must be freed. In one embodiment, the technique is employed in a garbage collector for doing resource garbage collection with legacy C and C++ programs. The garbage collector locates invocations that allocate such resources in the code and modifies the code so that when it is executed, the resources are registered. The techniques can also be used to ensure that finalizers associated with objects are executed before the object is freed.

Abstract: A technique for managing conference state. Endpoints of the conference are application processes (1803) running on computer systems that are connected by a WAN (1811). Each of the application processes (1803) maintains endpoint state for the conference. A session manager process (1812) in each of the computer systems maintains session manager state for each of the conferences that has an endpoint on the computer system. The session manager conference state includes a copy of the endpoint state for each of the conferences and the session manager (21) uses a locking mechanism to that the copies of the session manager conference state in all of the session managers (21) are identical. When an endpoint changes its endpoint state, it informs the session manager (21), the session manager (21) incorporates the change into its session manager conference state, and when the locking mechanism permits, exports the change to the session managers (21) for all the other endpoints.

Abstract: Techniques for finding a correspondence between a source object and a target object, the objects having n>2 dimensions, such that a vector field based on the correspondence generates objects which tend to preserve the characteristics of both the source object and the target object. The techniques result in vector fields which maximize the generated object's similarity to the target object while minimizing structural changes to the source object. Minimization of structural changes is done by associating directional spring functions with points in the source object and finding a vector which generates an object for which changes in the directional spring functions are minimized.

Abstract: Techniques for providing interactive user interfaces for programming constructs. A programming construct is associated with one or more metaphors (837) that specify interactive user interfaces (807) for the programming construct. Thus, a programming construct may have a metaphor for a text-based user interface or for one or more different graphical user interfaces. The metaphor may be associated with a description of the construct such as that found in an abstract syntax tree (823), and the metaphor may obtain the information it needs to construct the interface from the description, so that the user interfaces automatically track changes in the programming construct. Also included is apparatus for modifying the metaphor. In one implementation, a build form function (1407) is used to read the information needed to construct the construct's user interface from the construct's description and the metaphor is modified by modifying the build form function.

Abstract: A battery-charging adapter for a hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA) of the type that is placed in a data cradle. The adapter includes a battery pack that replaces the batteries in the PDA and has a recharging interface, a door that replaces the door of the PDA's battery compartment and permits access to the battery pack's recharging interface when the door is closed, and a surface which is attachable to the data cradle and has a recharging interface and recharging circuitry which is coupled to the recharging interface and a power supply. When the adapter surface is attached to the data cradle and the PDA is in the cradle, the battery pack's recharging interface is coupled to the adapter's recharging interface, permitting the batteries in the PDA to be recharged while the PDA is in the cradle.

Abstract: A system for evaluating information. The system defines a set of properties and one or more values for each property and then assigns property-value combinations to items of information and to profiles. Information is then evaluated by determining how the property-value combinations assigned to the items of information match those assigned to a profile. Assignments of property-value combinations have ratings and validities associated with them. In assignments to information items, the rating represents the relevance of the information item to the property-value pair; in assignments to profiles, it represents the relevance of the property-value pair to the profile. The validity for an assignment indicates a judgment concerning the strength of the assignment. The system further defines relationships between property-value combinations. When a property-value combination in a relationship is assigned, so are the related property-value combinations.

Abstract: Techniques for incorporating authentication information into digital representations of objects and using the authentication information to authenticate the objects. The authentication information may be made from information in one portion of the digital representation and incorporated into another portion of the digital representation that does not overlap the first portion. Where the digital representation is made into an analog form and that in turn is made into a digital representation and the second digital representation is verified, the two portions must further be non-overlapping in the analog form. The information from which the authentication information is made may exist at many levels: representations of physical effects produced by the object, representations of features of the object, codes that represent the object's contents, and representations of descriptions of the object. Also disclosed are a verification server and techniques for reducing errors by an OCR.

Abstract: A middle-tier Web server with a queryable cache that contains items from one or more data sources. Items are included in the cache on the basis of the probability of future hits on the items. When the data source determines that an item that has been included in the cache has changed, it sends an update message to the server, which updates the item if it is still included in the cache. In a preferred embodiment, the data source is a database system and triggers in the database system are used to generate update messages. In a preferred embodiment, the data access layer determines whether a data item required by an application program is in the cache. If it is, the data access layer obtains the item from the cache; otherwise, it obtains the item from the data source. The queryable cache includes a miss table that accelerates the determination of whether a data item is in the cache. The miss table is made up of miss table entries that relate the status of a data item to the query used to access the data item.

Abstract: A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter use a local copy of an access control data base to determine whether an access request made by a user. Changes made by administrators in the local copies are propagated to all of the other local copies. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to of access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. The rights of administrators are similarly determined by administrative policies. Access is further permitted only if the trust levels of a mode of identification of the user and of the path in the network by which the access is made are sufficient for the sensitivity level of the information resource.

Abstract: A person's mastery of a body of knowledge is determined by having the person write objective questions for a test that is given to a group of test takers. The results of the test are then analyzed to determine how well the person's questions discriminated between those who did well on the test and those who did poorly. The better the questions discriminate, the more mastery the person has of the body of knowledge. In a learning situation, a cycle of study, writing questions, analyzing the results, and determining mastery may be repeated until the desired degree of mastery is reached. The technique may be used for individuals or groups and both the question writers and the test takers may work in teams. Question writers may also be test takers, and the evaluation of a question writer may reflect both the extent to which his or her questions discriminate and his or her performance on the test.

Abstract: A technique for reducing delay in generating an output stream with real-time characteristics from a serially-received representation of the output stream that is not monotonic with regard to time. One application of the technique is generating a MIDI stream from a multi-track MIDI file. The MIDI stream is generated from the first track while the remainder of the MIDI file is being received. As a point in each further track to be received is reached that corresponds to the point in the first track at which the MIDI stream is currently being generated, the MIDI stream is generated from that track as well. The listener thus at first hears only the first track to be received; as the others come in, he hears them as well.

Abstract: A medical consultation support system in which a client computer is employed transfer a structured request for consultation from a primary care physician to a supervisory host computer. The structured request may be accompanied by additional information related to the request, forming a transmittable, machine-readable collection of information relating to the consultation request. At the supervisory computer, the request is displayed for preliminary review by a receiving staff physician who designates specialist and retrieves selected supporting documentation which is related to the current consultation request from one or more databases of medical information accessible to the supervisory host computer. The supervisory computer then transmits the request for consultation, together with at least an identification of the selected supporting documentation, to the selected specialist for review, and thereafter receives the responsive comment from the selected specialist.

Abstract: Techniques for protecting the security of digital representations, and of analog forms made from them. The techniques include authentication techniques that can authenticate both a digital representation and an analog form produced from the digital representation, an active watermark that contains program code that may be executed when the watermark is read, and a watermark agent that reads watermarks and sends messages with information concerning the digital representations that contain the watermarks. The authentication techniques use semantic information to produce authentication information. Both the semantic information and the authentication information survive when an analog form is produced from the digital representation. In one embodiment, the semantic information is alphanumeric characters and the authentication information is either contained in a watermark embedded in the digital representation or expressed as a bar code. With the active watermark, the watermark includes program code.

Abstract: A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter use a local copy of an access control data base to determine whether an access request made by a user. Changes made by administrators in the local copies are propagated to all of the other local copies. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to of access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. The rights of administrators are similarly determined by administrative policies. Access is further permitted only if the trust levels of a mode of identification of the user and of the path in the network by which the access is made are sufficient for the sensitivity level of the information resource.

Abstract: Techniques for secure distribution of digital representations that combine encryption and watermarking. When a user at a client desires to download a digital representation, the user makes a request to a server for the digital representation, which encrypts the digital representation using a first key and downloads the encrypted digital representation to the user. Before the user performs any operation on the decrypted digital representation, a secret fingerprint watermark identifying the user is added to the digital representation. The fingerprint watermark is added either at the server or at the client and a copy of the fingerprinted digital representation is kept at the server. If the user makes an impermissible use of the digital representation, the secret fingerprint watermark can be used to identify the user. The request made by the user indicates the type of use that the user wished to make of the digital representation.

Abstract: A scalable access filter that is used together with others like it in a virtual private network to control access by users at clients in the network to information resources provided by servers in the network. Each access filter uses a local copy of an access control data base to determine whether an access request is made by a user. Changes made by administrators in the local copies are propagated to all of the other local copies. Each user belongs to one or more user groups and each information resource belongs to one or more information sets. Access is permitted or denied according to of access policies which define access in terms of the user groups and information sets. The rights of administrators are similarly determined by administrative policies. Access is further permitted only if the trust levels of a mode of identification of the user and of the path in the network by which the access is made are sufficient for the sensitivity level of the information resource.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing MIDI tracks across a network using non-real-time protocols such as TCP/IP. Included are techniques for producing MIDI tracks from MIDI streams as the MIDI streams are themselves produced and distributing the MIDI tracks across the network, techniques for dealing with the varying delays involved in distributing the tracks using non-real-time protocols, and techniques for saving the controller state of a MIDI track so that a user may begin playing the track at any point during its distribution across the network. Network services based on these techniques include distribution of continuous tracks of MIDI music for applications such as background music, distribution of live recitals via the network, and participatory music making on the network ranging from permitting the user to "play along" through network jam sessions to using the network as a distributed recording studio.

Abstract: Representations of letters of the alphabet have surfaces which have a feel on being touched which are different from the feel of surfaces of other letters. The letters may be presented in a book having a plurality of pages, each page displaying a letter of the alphabet, the surface of the letter having a feel on being touched which is different from the feel of its page and from the feel of other letters. The letters may also have a different appearance from the appearance of other letters. Each letter may have a combination of feel and appearance which is different from the combination of feel and appearance of each of the other letters. The letters may be disposed in a plane which is offset from a plane defined by its page. Each page is preferably split into a first portion which displays the uppercase form of the letter and a second portion which displays the lowercase form of the letter, the first and second portions being capable of being turned independently of one another.